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Are you ready for Christmas? Well if you aren’t you have a couple of hours to try to pull the fat out of the fire and save the day (or you can always buy a lot of interesting things at the convenience stores, and don’t forget the power of Gift Cards , or maybe some tasty beef jerky, and some windshield washing fluid ).

The Ultimate Last Minute Gift

Does it really all matter? If you are with the people you love, or you are where you want to be, if anybody gets upset about not getting a present (that is older that 12 years old) they should really just lighten up.

If you do have time, think about the Charities that might want your help this season, there are some fine ones mentioned here, that will gladly accept your donations.

Enjoy the holiday, enjoy the extra long weekend (unless you work in the Retail sector, in which case, please be patient with the Boxing Day onslaught).

Drive carefully, as well, I am out there driving around, too!

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After a lovely Thanksgiving weekend, as we dropped one of my daughters off at school, my son saw one of my daughter’s university buddies playing Guitar Hero on a PS/2 (evidently at University, the kids “rough it” by using 1 generation back technology), and my son was enthralled by the site of this game. His hand eye co-ordination was such that he couldn’t get the hang of the guitar, however, he remembered that we had a PS/2 in our basement, collecting dust, and I was ordered to set it up for him (well, it sounded like an order, I think he said please).

Previously Enjoyed Toys

Setting up the game was easier than I remember, as the TV we use for my son had a spare AVI port (you know that old Red White and Yellow cable we used to use on tube tvs?) and for the rest of the day my son was enjoying Simpson’s Road Rage (although he likes to play Air Guitar Hero (you walk around with the “guitar” acting like you are playing the game).

This all got me thinking that with my son, and how he has had many regifted toys over his life (he has Teletubbies, Tickle Me Elmo and a Tutter from his sisters and many other older toys) and seems no worse for wear for me not spending many dollars on toys. I remember the amount of pain my wife went through to get those toys new (the Tickle Me Elmo craze was a scary time), and I am happy that they can actually be enjoyed again.

You do realize that Christmas is coming in a while, are you going to buy your kids or grandkids a bunch of toys, that may end up locked in a closet one day? What if you put some money in an RESP for them, or in trust for when they get older? Does old money get locked in a closet ?

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Hope you are ready for Christmas, because it’s pretty much here. You have one more day to get those last things you think you needed. Many people travel today, while some have the tradition of the major celebration for Christmas being tonight (after midnight mass), how ever you celebrate I hope you enjoy it.

A few last-minute tips:

Remember to have your bills paid as banks are “closed” for the next couple of days.

Given the bad weather we have been having, make sure you have more than half a tank of gas in your car (usually a good idea in the winter anyhow).

If you are out shopping today, remember everyone is stressed, but if you don’t succumb to the mayhem, you will be a better person at the end of it. Same holds true with your family as well.

This is a festival of joy and celebration, always remember that.

And always remember:

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One of the “traditions” many families do every Christmas is play Elf on the Shelf with their children. The “game” consists of buying a book, which has an Elf included with it. The parents put the Elf on the Shelf in different places, and the children must go find him (her?).

Should you wish to buy an Elf, here is a link

Evidently this Elf on the Shelf goes back to the North Pole every night and reports back to Santa if the kids have been naughty or nice (think of it like Santa’s version of the NSA). To me this is a pretty darn creepy looking elf, and I am not really sure what it is teaching our kids, but if you read the Wikipedia entry for the game you might get a hint.

Suppose we had a Financial Elf on the Shelf™ might that help us control our Festive Christmas Spending? Better still how about this idea, knowing how our friend Gail Vaz-Oxlade hates over-spending, how about a Financial Gail on the Shelf™?

If every time you came back from shopping there was a small Gail Vaz-Oxlade waiting for you, that simply said, “What did you buy this time? Could you afford that?”, and every night she went back and reported to “Santa” on whether you were good financially or not? (and if you were naughty Santa cut up your credit cards).

Better still, the Gail on the Shelf can also go into your wallet and replace your credit cards with cards that say, “You Cannot Afford this!” and a picture of Gail wagging her finger?

An Excellent Photo for the Replacement Credit Cards

I think I could make a pretty penny selling this (of course I’d have to give Gail royalties as well). Have I missed the point on this odd new Christmas “tradition”?